Rahul Dravid after his half century on Friday

Mohali: Gautam Gambhir, who struck his fourth Test hundred here Friday, said it was a very special innings considering England looked determined to level the series.

“It was special because England came hard at us. Trailing 1-0, they had nothing to lose here,” Gambhir said.

“Against Australia, I did get a century in the second innings and we won, but the century today (Friday) is crucial because of the conditions.”

Following are excerpts

Q A very determined knock indeed…

A Yes, I was very determined. We lost an early wicket, so a big partnership was needed. Moreover, this year, I have been hitting the ball well. Before this Test, I needed 150-odd runs to complete 1000 runs this year and was determined to get there.

You scored a century against Australia here and now another three- figure knock at the same venue…

Yes, two centuries in two matches is very special and it really has been a lucky venue for me. I hope the trend continues.

Among your four centuries, which one is special?

Well, every century in Test cricket is special. After all, Test cricket is the ultimate challenge. But this is a very special century because the ball was doing quite a bit in the morning and we were six for one at that stage. It was special because England came hard at us. Trailing the series 1-0, they had nothing to lose here. Against Australia, I did get a century in the second innings and we won but the century today is crucial because of the conditions.

Did you expect England to bowl so well?

Yes, very much. After we won the Chennai Test, their morale was really low, especially coming after their 5-0 defeat in the ODI series. We knew they would come hard against us here because it’s their last chance to level the series. But I think we have done a good job and need to capitalise on it tomorrow.

What do you think of Rahul Dravid’s innings?

He played a very important knock today, both from his personal and the team’s point of view. We were six for one and the ball was doing a lot. At that stage, we really needed a big partnership and I think he tackled the seamers really well. See, Rahul is a legend of the game with 10,000-plus runs under his belt. Who am I to comment on him? But I think after this one innings, his confidence would be high and he would continue to do well.

What would be your plan tomorrow?

We should have a positive mindset. We are 1-0 up in the series but that should not lead to a defensive mindset. The next four days, we need to think how we can win the match and nothing else. We need to win and become the number two team in the world.

You did not allow Monty Panesar to do much…

I think he bowled pretty well but our batsmen handled him well too. It’s never easy for a spinner to succeed against India. In Chennai, we negotiated him well and that gave us the confidence here.

What about Stuart Broad?

I think Broad bowled really well and hit the good areas. Remember, he is the lone wicket taker of the day. He had done well in the ODI series also and we knew once he is fit (from a hamstring injury) he would be back in the side.